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February 26, 2013

What Not To Do Before A Kindergarten 101 Workshop

I realized halfway through dinner I'd made a huge mistake.Getting a night out with Hubby is a rare treat, so I almost always get super excited for the evening. One of our recent dates was dinner before attending a Kindergarten 101 Workshop for parents with kids entering kindergarten next year. I was eager to hear about the transition Chica would be making and equally eager for the mexican feast we would consume beforehand.My mom arrived at our house and the girls all but pushed us out the door. Fine by me. There were chips, salsa and tacos with my name on it. We live in a town with exceptional Mexican fare, but the workshop was in the next town over, so we made due with reasonably good Mexican food instead. I'd gone on a run earlier that day (the first long run of my life!), so not only was I ready to nosh on food, but it was a date night so I couldn't wait to order a margarita.Right? You can't not order the margarita when you go out for Mexican. There are laws against such things.So we placed our orders, received our 'ritas, and started in on non-kid discussion topics: TV, how our running was going, "What did you do with your day?" and, of course, the kids. The margarita was so stinking good and I was trying to pace myself so I still had some left to drink with dinner. Did I mention there was bottomless chips and salsa? For free?Partway through my margarita, a feeling of utter relaxation came over me. Hubby became increasingly funny. And was it me? Or was it bedtime because all I wanted to do was curl up and take a nap. I took a quick peek at the drink in front of me and was surprised to find it empty. I also realized that I was feeling less like this:

And more like this:

The groggy brain in my head reminded me that coupling a margarita with a day of a long run before heading to an educational parent workshop might not have been the wisest idea.I quickly agreed. Now, here's the deal. I'm not a big drinker. In that, I was the good girl who didn't take a sip of alcohol until I was 21, and I was never one to party hardy. Have I felt the feeling of a slight buzz after a drink? Sure. But I've only really consumed alcoholic beverages in moderation, as the idea of feeling ill and puking the following day never appealed to me. I enjoy a glass of wine with dinner many nights, and if I'm out to dinner I may indulge in a beer. But I attempt to stick to one drink, because the headache that follows two drinks is not my friend. So you might imagine that I wasn't quite sure what to do with the spinning room, the heavy eye lids and just how much concentration it took to use utensils to eat my dinner. I kept thinking, "C'mon Steph! Get it together! How hard is it to put a taco in your mouth?"After a long run that apparently left me more dehydrated than I realized? Pretty difficult.One measly margarita can make even the most simplest of tasks short of impossible.Hubby, though, was finding my situation quite amusing. Even in my 'rita-induced haze, I could read his smirk. I knew this was one of those situations he'd never let me live down.

Hubs paid the check and said we should get moving so we could make the Kindergarten Workshop on time. I thought this through. I knew it would take coordinating my feet to get out of the booth as well as every ounce of balance I could muster to stay upright. I quickly downed two large glasses of water to flush my system, and very carefully made a trip to relieve myself in the bathroom before heading out. I started panicking with the realization that I'd be around a bunch of other parents in an educational setting. Would they smell the tequila on my breath? Would I stagger and slur my words and call everyone my BFF? All I could think was, "Holy crap. These people are going to think I'm totally wasted."All from ONE. MEASLY. MARGARITA.If only they knew.Luckily, by the time we arrived at the workshop, I was feeling much more myself and it only took minor effort to walk and find a seat. It took a little more concentration than usual, but I took in all of the information on Kindergarten readiness and what the average Kindergarten day looks like with stride. After a few more sips from the miniature (if not comical) water fountains found at the elementary school, I was pretty much myself, and was even able to ask a few intelligent questions of the presenters.

We laughed about if on the way home and I can say I survived the night. I did make a mental note, though, to drink a lot of water after all my runs and to only order an alcoholic beverage if I was well-hydrated.